Marcel Barbeau

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  • Marcel Barbeau, Automne marins, 2011
    Automne marins, 2011
    38 x 50 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, Belle gitane, 2013
    Belle gitane, 2013
    54 x 54 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, D'azur et d'étoiles, 2013
    D'azur et d'étoiles, 2013
    54 x 54 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, Départ-navire, 2013
    Départ-navire, 2013
    54 x 54 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, Folie et sagesse, 2003
    Folie et sagesse, 2003
    66 x 66 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, Kermesse, 2011
    Kermesse, 2011
    38 x 50 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, La clarté du plaisir, 2006
    La clarté du plaisir, 2006
    55 x 55 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, Les gerbes de l'automne, 2006
    Les gerbes de l'automne, 2006
    39 1/4 x 39 1/4 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, Nomade, 2009
    Nomade, 2009
    55 x 55 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, Nuits de mai, 2012
    Nuits de mai, 2012
    54 x 54 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, Peruvian adventure, 1988
    Peruvian adventure, 1988
    54 x 72 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, Rétine longchamp, 1965
    Rétine longchamp, 1965
    39 x 32 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, Sans titre, 2012
    Sans titre, 2012
    48 x 48 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, Sans titre, 2009
    Sans titre, 2009
    48 x 48 in.
  • Marcel Barbeau, Sans titre, 2009
    Sans titre, 2009
    48 x 48 in.
Overview

Born in Montreal in 1925 and passing in 2014, Marcel Barbeau is one of the founding members of Quebec's Automatiste movement, alongside Paul-Émile Borduas. His early training was thorough: after studying drawing at the École du meuble in Montréal, he worked with Borduas, architect Marcel Parizeau and art historian Maurice Gagnon. At Galerie de Bellefeuille, we are proud to count Marcel Barbeau among the modern masters we present.

 

From the Automatistes to geometric abstraction

Between 1962 and 1974, Barbeau travelled extensively, living and exhibiting in Paris, New York and California. His style changed during this period, moving from the lyrical abstracts of the Automatiste period towards a more geometric mode, a period of movement that fed an ever-evolving body of work, true to the spirit of formal freedom that animated the 1948 Refus global manifesto.

 

A return to gesture and matter

In the late 1970s, Barbeau returned to the free-form, all-over surface activity he had favoured before. His sculptures appeared in shows in Montreal (1984) and Toronto (1986).

 

Hard edge forms

By 1987, inspired by his sculpture and collage work, his painting changed once again, moving back to hard edge forms in highly contrasted colours. Each Marcel Barbeau painting from this period translates a formal tension between geometric rigour and chromatic intensity.

 

Distinctions and recognition

  • 1948 — Co-signatory of the Refus global manifesto

  • 1964 — Royal Canadian Academy Zack Award

  • 1994 — Gold Medal in painting at the Jeux de la Francophonie, Paris

  • Represented in numerous institutional collections

 

Notable exhibitions

  • Sculpture exhibitions in Montreal (1984) and Toronto (1986)

  • Group exhibitions of the Automatiste movement across North America and Europe

  • Presentations at Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal and Toronto

 

Collecting Marcel Barbeau

To acquire a Marcel Barbeau sculpture or a canvas from his geometric period is to own a living fragment of Quebec art history, shaped by more than fifty years of formal research.

Collectors drawn to lyrical abstraction will find a complementary universe in Jean-Paul Riopelle's lyrical abstraction.

 

Those fascinated by the dialogue between abstraction and modernism will appreciate Anselm Reyle's dialogue with modernism.

 

Finally, collectors interested in contemporary approaches to representation will find an echo in Julian Opie's contemporary representation.

 

To discover the works of Marcel Barbeau currently available, our team welcomes you to our spaces in Montreal and Toronto.

 

FAQ 

 

Who was Marcel Barbeau?

Marcel Barbeau (1925–2014) was a Quebec painter and sculptor, a founding member of the Automatiste movement and a co-signatory of the 1948 Refus global manifesto.

 

Where can I see or acquire a work by Marcel Barbeau?

Galerie de Bellefeuille presents a selection of Marcel Barbeau's work at its Montreal and Toronto spaces; our team is happy to guide you through the artist's work.

 

What is the difference between Barbeau's Automatiste and geometric periods?

His Automatiste period (1940s–1950s) favoured free gesture and lyrical abstraction, while his geometric period, which began during his travels from 1962 to 1974, evolved toward hard edge forms and highly contrasted colours.